1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the control of an operation unit for an image processing apparatus with multiple functions such as a filing function, a facsimile function or the like.
2. Related Background Art
There have recently been commercialized composite image processing apparatus having multiple functions, formed by providing the image processing apparatus, such as copying apparatus, with additional functions such as a printer function for printing a computer output, a scanner function for reading an original on an original table and entering the information into computers, and a facsimile function for image transmission and reception through public telephone lines etc.
Also some color copying apparatus are so constructed as to easily serve as a printer or a scanner in combination with a computer, by connecting an intelligent processing unit (IPU), for realizing a interface with various analog/digital images as an accessory.
For example in a case of utilizing the scanner function in such composite image processing apparatus, the desired image reading operation is started by instructing the image reading operation to a peripheral equipment from the operation unit of the main apparatus.
Also in case of facsimile transmission in a composite image processing apparatus with facsimile function, the telephone number of the destination, the transmission mode etc. are entered from the operation unit of the main apparatus.
However, in such conventional composite image processing apparatus provided with peripheral equipment, the operation sequences depending on the peripheral equipment providing the functions of scanner, printer, facsimile etc. and the images for operation instruction to be displayed on a display device of the operation unit have to be stored in advance in the composite image processing apparatus. For this reason, variations in the operation sequence or in the images for operation instruction, resulting from variations in the control program of such peripheral equipment require not only the variation of the ROM storing such control program in the peripheral equipment but also the variation of the ROM storing the control program of the operation unit in the main image processing apparatus itself, so that an extremely cumbersome procedure is required.